AHN Names Nipun Merchant First Surgeon-in-Chief and Surgery Chair
Pittsburgh – October 14, 2026 -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) has appointed surgical oncologist Nipun B. Merchant, MD, as chair of its Department of Surgery and its first surgeon-in-chief, effective February 2027.
New surgeon-in-chief role centralizes oversight of network surgery
The newly created position makes Merchant the senior physician executive for AHN's surgical enterprise, with strategic oversight of surgical services across the network's hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. As chair, he will lead the department's clinical, academic and strategic growth, including faculty recruitment, expansion of advanced surgical programs, education and research. He will work with physicians, nurses and operational leaders on quality, safety and patient experience.
AHN says the role reflects a push toward a more integrated model of surgical care across its growing network.